Improvement in corn and cane harvesters



` UNrrnn Sri/iras Parisist Ormea.

WM. M. MASON, OF POLO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN AND CANE HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 33,90, dated September3, 1861.

To all whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, XV. M. MASON, of Polo, in the county of Ogle andState of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Corn and CaneHarvester; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexeddrawings, `making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is aplan or top View of my 1nvention; and Fig. 2, a side sectional view ofthe same, taken in the line x x, Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the twofigures.

This invention relates to a machine for cutting standing corn and caneand depositing the same in gavels on the ground.

The invention consists in the employment or use of an adjustableinclined reel, in connection with a tilting platform and cutting device,arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth. v

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it. j

A represents the main frame of the ma chine, to which draft thills orshafts B B are attached, and C is the driving-wheel, which is placed inthe main frame,and has a toothed wheel, D, secured concentrically toit,v the wheel gearing into a pinion, E, which is on a shaft, F, thelatter being fitted in a step, a,

which is placed on the aXle G of the drivingwheel C. The upper bearing,b, of the shaft F is attached to a bar, H, the back part of which iscurved, forming a part of a circle of which the axle G of thedriving-wheel is the center. The bearing b is attached to the bar H bymeans of a screw, c, which may pass through any of a series of holes inthe bar, according to the desired inclination of the shaft F.

On the upper end of the shaftF there is secured a reel, I. This reelisformed of a hub, d, and curved arms e, the form of the latter beingdistinctly shown in Fig. l. The arms e .may be made of niet-al rods of asuitable diameter.

To the back part of the main frame A there is attached at right angles abar, J, having a reciprocating sickle, K, adjusted to it, which sickleis operated by suitable mechanism fromV the driving-wheel G. Atriangular platform,

M, is attached by hinges or j oints f. The platform M is allowed to workor swing freely on its hinges or joints f, and said platform isconnected at its back end to a lever, N, the fulcrum g of which is inthe main frame A. The lever N extends beyond the front end of the mainframe A, and is sufficiently heavy at its front part to keep theplatform M, when empty, upward in proper position to receive the cutstalks or cane. A catch, O, is placed at the front end of the main frameA to hold the front end of lever N down,so that the load on platform Mcannot tilt it until the lever N is freed from the catch O by thedriver. The outer end of the platform Lhas a guide or wing, lz.,attached, and a guide or wing, h', is also attached to the back end ofthe main frame A. A guard-plate, f1?, is secured to the outer side ofthe tilting platform M. The reel I works over the sickle or cuttingdevice and the tilting platform M, the reel being slightly inclined, soas to throw, as it revolves, the stalks or cane to the sickle, to enablethe latter to operate efficiently,and also to throw the cut stalks orcane on the platform M, and a greater or less degree of Obliquity may begiven the reel Laccording to the height of the stalks or cane, byadjusting the upper bearing, Z, of the shaft F. The tilting platform Mhas an oblique position relatively with the stationary platform L,`asshown clearly in Fig. l, so that the stalks or cane will be dischargedat the back of the main frame A, and thereby leave an unobstructed trackfor the lj rse.- The outer end of the stationary platform L is supportedby a wheel, P, the axisj of which. has its inner end fitted in a slottedplate, 7c, the slot in the plate being oblong, as shown at Z in Fig. l.This oblong slot Zadmits of the wheel P shifting its position when themachine is turned, so that the wheel l? will conform to the arc of thecircle described by it as the machine is turned. The driver-s seat Q isat the front part of the main frame A, and in such a relative positionwith the catch O as to enable the driver to actuate thelatter with hisfoot. When a sufficient quantity of stalks or corn to form a gavel hasbeen deposited on the platform L, the driver actuates the catch O, andthereby releases the lever N. The platform M then tilts and dischargesits load, and when the platform is empty it rises to its proper positionunder The arrangement of the adjustable reel I in the superior gravityof the front part of lever an inclined position, to operate incombination N, which may be loaded, if desired. With theobliqnely-hinged platform M, tilting I do not claim the combination of aliorilever N, and spring-catch O, in lthe manner zontally-operating reeland a tilting platform and for the purpose described.

with a Weighted lever, as such devices have been used in conjunction fordelivering the cut XVM; M. M ASON.

crop at intervals directly behind the machine;

but W tnesses What I claim as new, and desire to secure by l F. FISHER,

Letters Patent, is- SAMUEL WoLF.

